Paris wants to wed Juliet and has come to Capulet to ask if he has his blessing. Capulet comes back to his senses and says,
“My child is yet a stranger in the world” which means that he thinks Juliet is too young to be married off. Paris says that there are younger wives than her. Then Capulet replies with “And too soon marred are those so early made” which means that those girls were too young to be mothers and their lives were ruined. The audience would now think that Capulet is a good father and that he truly loves his daughter. He even says that “she is the hopeful lady of my earth,” Which makes the audience think that he is an even better father from when they first thought. Because it was very odd at that time for a father to love his daughter so much. He says that
“my will to her consent is but a part, and she agreed, within her scope of choice.”
This means that he hopes she agrees which is odd for fathers. Usually the Father makes the arranged marriage to which he thinks suitable, but Capulet has given her a choice to an extent. This strengthens the audience’s view of him being a nice man.
His language and attitude changes when he talks about all the “Fresh Female buds” it becomes a man to man chat. Capulet tries to get Paris to think about other girls which will be at his party, in hope that he this will take his mind off Juliet or a while. He does this not because Paris isn’t suitable. He still wants Juliet to marry him but only when she is older, she’s still too young.
Act one scene five in this scene Capulet is holding a grand ball in his “Humble home,” Romeo, Benvollio and Mercutio- Romeos best friend decide to gate crash it. This is a pivotal scene, for Juliet was “meant” to marry Paris in a couple of years but that all changes when she and Romeo meet and fall into their doomed love.
When Tybalt, Lord Capulets nephew, overhears “the slave” Romeo talking about Juliet and recognises him as Montague it becomes very tense. He is disgusted that Montague came to the party “to fleer and scorn at our solemnity.” He goes to see Capulet who is entertaining his guests like the good host that he his and is telling the servants what to do to make his guests feel good he seems to be enjoying then party and is pleased that it is all going smoothly.
Tybalt tells Capulet that Romeo is here but because Capulet is in a joyous mood and Romeo is a “well governed youth” he tells Tybalt to leave him alone. But Tybalt presses on further until he starts to annoy Capulet and tension builds up even more. Capulet then insults calling him a “Saucy boy” whilst entertaining the guests by saying things like “well said my hearts.” He is also ordering his servants what to do to improve the party in a firm and bossy way. Tybalt walks away disgruntled swearing that he will kill Romeo.
And so the seeds of the tragedy are sewn Romeo and Juliet have fallen in love, and Tybalt swears that he will kill Romeo. The audience’s impression of Capulet by the end of the scene is that he is a good host, a good Father but also looses his temper very easily.
In act three scene four Capulet and Lady Capulet are talking to Paris, allowing him to marry Juliet. Capulet is letting Paris wed her now because Juliet is upset and is grieving over Tybalt’s death, so he thinks. She is actually upset about Romeo being banished. He thinks that if she marries Paris then it will make her happy again. He also thinks that Juliet will do as he says but he doesn’t know that she is already married to Romeo so he doesn’t actually know anything right about his daughter.
This creates tension because the audience knows that Juliet is married to Romeo and they are waiting for Capulet to find out.
Capulets plan is that Lady Capulet will have the duty telling the wife of Romeo that she will be a bride again. While he takes care of the proceedings which he is most excited about. But of course the audience already know that it will not go to plan.
In act three scene five Lady Capulet is telling Juliet about the arranged marriage and as predicted she is not at all happy about it. Capulet comes into her room happily thinking that he has arranged a wonderful thing for his daughter and that everything will go as planned. His great bubble bursts when he finds out. At first he doesn’t understand, and then his rage builds up.We see this because he starts to repeat himself and imitates what she says. Then he threatens and verbally abuses her
“Or I will drag you on hurdle hither, out you green-sickness carrion, out you baggage, you tallow-face.”
Even lady Capulet thought that he was going to far “Fie, fie, are you mad?” He causes Juliet to beg for forgiveness but he throws it back into her face. I imagine that Lord Capulet would be physically abusing her as well verbally by now. He threatens her again:-
“Get thee to church on Thursday, or never after look me in the face again.”
The nurse tries to intervene at this point at which Capulet turns his anger on her:-“Hold your tongue.” Keeping her in line after all she is only his servant he tells her to get lost but she knows that now she is almost certainly going to be fired. Capulet departs after shouting a bit more, so the nurse tries to get Juliet to wed Paris because if she did that then she may still keep her job. But Juliet goes to see the friar for some poison so she has not to marry Paris. The audience now feels that lord Capulet is a horrible Father, loses his temper far too quickly and that he is far too harsh to Juliet and to the nurse.
Capulet’s mood, feelings and the way the audience thinks and feels about him changes throughout the play. In Act 2 scene 1 the audience thought that Capulet was a good Father and that he truly loved his daughter, because it was very unusual at that time for a father to love his daughter so much.
Then in act 1 scene 5 the audience thought that Capulet was a very good host telling every one to have a good time and enjoy themselves. They thought he was a very jolly person who loves entertaining people and that he had the image of a perfectionist. In Act 3 scene 5 the audience thought that lord Capulet was a horrible father who loses his temper far to quickly and that he was far to harsh toward Juliet and the nurse.
Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other was very important in the play because that was the reason for all the complications like the marriage between Paris that was arranged for Juliet, the banishment of Romeo because he would not fight Tybalt, the death of Mercutio, the death of Tybalt, the whole tragedy theme, the deaths of Romeo and Juliet and finally the bringing together of the Capulets and the Montague’s.
The bringing together of the Capulets and the Montague’s happened because of Romeo and Juliet’s love and their deaths. Because of these events both of the families realised how silly they had been and called friendship between them instead of war.
